Summary

Nick Cave and his band The Birthday Party have just moved to London and had their first gig. Hardly anyone shows, and after putting their equipment away, Nick goes out to get a fix. He is accosted by a vampire named Christian who turns him.

Summary

1981. You've been kicked out of your school, your home, your country, for being queer; and your family have banished you to live with a distant relation in West Berlin in disgrace. But in the shelter of The Wall: rent is cheap and squatting is free; drugs are plentiful; sex of every kind is readily available; and everyone you know is forming absolutely amazing experimental bands, making Super-8 films and creating fantastic art.

Relationship notes: This story is not intended as Slash and if you're just looking for Nixa, you will be sorely disappointed. The primary relationship involves two complex genderqueer artists, and I am deliberately centring the women and the historically queer people in the West Berlin scene.

Content notes: story contains no AO3 warning content, but does contain heavy drug abuse, sex work, homophobic violence, violence against women, and other content I will CN for on relevant chapters.